The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-10-27
A WORK OF ART.
More About the McGregor Mon
ument,
Which was Unveiled at Wadsworth Last
Thursday in the Midst of Many
Friends to the Memory of
John M Gregor.

AC IOuT d ClOCh IbSU I0uESudy IuOTH-
ing the statue of John McGregOr,
loaded on aOne-hOrse wagon, was slowly
driven from the marble works of S. II.
Hockensmith by Norman G. Pardee.
Forty years ago the same driver con-
veyed the body of John McGregor in a
similar conveyance to the grave. Work
men, by means of a derrick, soon raised
the statue to its position on the pedes-
tai, where it was greeted by tire rising
sun in all the grandeur of magnificent
October day. The monument as it
stands cost about 81 1,100. The usual
price for such work of art is about
81 1900, but by special arrangement with
our marble man, s. III. HOckensmith,
the committee was especially favored
The statue is six feet high and the
pedestal seven feet, making the total
height thirteen feet. The first base
alone weighs about three tons, and the
whole monument over seven tons.
During the day clouds gradually
arose, and by evening the lowering sky
sent forth cold, misty rain, making it
very unpleasant, yet Richards Hall was
nearly filled with McGregOr pupils and
friends. After very pleasant. social
visit, and the recognition of friends
who had been separated for from thirty
to forty years, the meeting was called
to order by Hon. Aaron Pardee, and
after brief remarks, the roll was called
by John A. Clark, Secretary, so far as
the names of pupils had been secured.
Out of 154 supposed to be living, 81 re-
sponded as being present. They were
q noble looking set of men and women,
and as the names of absent ones were
called, brief responses were made by
such as knew of them. Archie Nc
GregOr responded to call and gave sew
eral popular recitations, after which
the meeting was again resolved into a
social visit Truly, as wrote Mrs. Ash
ley, "Such a reunion can never occur
again"
Friday the2 2lst, unveiling day, opened
rather gloomy, but the clouds soon
passed away, and the genial rays of
the October sun smiled upon the scenes
being enacted. The people began to
pour in from all directions at an early
hour, and the G.. A. r. Band kindly en-
tertained them with their usually eX
cellent music. Co. g., Capt. j. IL.
RickeIt, also made its appearance, at
traeting much attention. The Normal
and the High schools had suspended for
the day, and at ten o'clock all started
for the cemetery, headed by the band
and military company. AT the monu-
ment Hon. Aaron Pardee, Mayor OF the
village, presided, making very appro-
pirate remarks, alluding to the monu-
ments in the history of the world.
Monuments are of two kinds LIST, mon
umental institutions or periodic OBJ
servanCes The first and most notable
of such institutions was the Sabbath, or
observance of the Seventh Day, when
Adam was only day old; and wonder
full as it may be, that institution has
come down more than 5000 years and
has reached our time.
There are many more of this kind, of
very ancient origin. The second kind
of monuments are material, as stones,
metal and other enduring substance.
OF these the erection of stones is the
most frequent. Jacob, the father of the
twelve tribes, slept one night at Bethel
on memorable occasion, and he "rOse
up early in the morning, and took the
stone that he had put for his pillows
and set it up for pillar and poured oil
on the top of it," Joshua also, after
crossing the Jordan with the children
of Israel on dry ground, previous to the
conquest of Canaan, ordered twelve
men, one from every tribe, to take II
stones and set them up, so that
when the children should ask
what means these stones,
they should be told that the waters OF
Jordan were cut off, &c, and he or
dained that these stones should be a
memorial unto the children of Israel
forever, and so such customs have been
observed among all nations unto this
day. AS to the monument before MS,
erected in this beautiful cemetery, we
think the friends Of John McGregor
have reason to be greatly pleased.
About two years ago the idea was sug-
gested that such q monument to such
man ought to grace our cemetery. The
part that the committee have taken in
perfecting this idea is creditable largely
to Joe Tyler DR.. Lyman and W. I.
Curtis. For myself | claim but little,
having generally sat back and encour-
aged the rest to work. But the Origina-
ton of the idea, and most OF the labor
bringing the work to perfection has
come from John A. Clark, editor OF the
Wadsworth Enterprise, who has been
constant in urging the matter forward,
and the friends of Mr. McGregOr owe
more to the labors of Mr.. Clark for this
enduring monument than anyone else.
And this enterprise of his will remain
as long as any other enterprise in which
he has been engaged.
DR.. G. N. Lyman, chairman of the
committee, followed, saying it has long
been the custom of people to assemble
themselves to perpetHate the memory
of individuals and events, and thus eX-
press their appreciation. In pursuance
of such custom we have assembled to
express our appreciation of the worth
of an individual who, during his So
iourn with us, exerted a marked inllu-
ence in matters educational and intel
| lectual in this town and vicinity. This
influence has expanded, and is felt
amOno the hills Of New England, the
prairies Of the west and the land of the
orange and magnolia. There is a
saying that the evil that men
do lives after them, and that
the good is oft inferred with theiI
bones; bus there is another and truel
saving that they VIII SOW in tears shall
reap in joy, bearing their sheaves witt
them. Though John McGregor die
not sow in tears; he sowed with much
labor and painstaking, and many art
the sheayes he gathered. The memory
of the dead is not perpetuated by
statues alone, but by the memory O
the worth of the lives they lived. JohI
| NIcGregor was born in Hamilton, Scot
land on the 2Sth day of June, 1886. A
1.-The Ire of IA he was taken to Londol
and attended school several years, anC
then returned and entered Glasgow
University. On leaving the Uniyersit,
| = - rob MI